The former head chef of Hackney-based restaurant Pidgin is to open his first solo venture, called Casa Fofó, in Clapton.
Casa Fofó follows De Cecco’s tenure at Pidgin, which was opened by James Ramsden and Sam Herlihy in Hackney in 2015.
Named after De Cecco’s grandfather, Casa Fofó will serve a five to seven course tasting menu that changes daily, with dishes influenced by cuisines from across the globe.
Served on ceramics made by Sam Marks, a menu of small bites will offer diners dishes such as beef fat pommes darphin, and a tempura shiso leaf with retired dairy cow beef tartare and XO sabayon.
The main menu will feature dishes such as: almond tortello in cock crab; brown butter “tom yum” broth; a yeast and shoaxing wine glazed Middle White pork; tomato sambal-marinated lettuce and sweet-and-sour peanut jus; and a Mah Kwan pepper croqueline with shio koji mascarpone, lovage and berries.
The 28-cover restaurant will open on the site formerly occupied by Pizzeria Lardo Bebbe, with the main room offering seats for sixteen guests and a communal table in the basement seating a further twelve.
Beginning his career as a kitchen porter at an Italian restaurant in Amsterdam, De Cecco has worked at two-Michelin-starred restaurant Perbellini in Verona, Tetsuya’s in Sydney and Galvin at Windows in London.
On opening Casa Fofó, De Cecco said it will be a “very challenging” but “exciting moment” in his career.
Casa Fofó will open in April.
